Machine for breaking meat fiber



Aug. 9, 1938. E. K. HOY ET AL.

MACHINE FOR BREAKING MEAT" FIBER Filed Oct. 24, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 9, 1938. E. K. HOY ET AL MACHINE FOR BREAKING MEAT FIBER Filed 001;. 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 HE. E]

1938. E. K. HOY ET AL. I 2,126,554

MACHINE FO R BREAKING MEAT FIBER Filed Oct. 24, 1955 e Sheets-Sheet 3 M/TM Aug. 9, 1 938. E. K'. HOY ET AL 2,126,554

MACHINE FOR BREAKING MEAT FIBER 7 Filed ed. 24, 1955 e Sheets-Sheet 4 TIL-t5,

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MACHINE FOR BREAKING MEAT FIBER Filed Oct. 24, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aizassi MACHINE FOR BREAKING MEAT FIBER Everard K. Boy and Urbano Pedro Arena, Alturas, Calif.

Application October 24, 1935, Serial No. 46,617

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in meat tendering devices and has for its object topro in steaks and the like may be very rapidlybroken into very small sections in order to quickly change an ordinarily tough steak into a tender steak.

provide in a steak tendering machine, a pair of fiber breaking rollers between which the steak is run.

Another object of the invention is to provide 20 in a machine of the nature above outlined, a pair of gear driven rollers and means whereby the rollers may be moved together or apart to accommodate steaks of various thicknesses and without interfering with the gear action thereof.

25 i A further object of the invention, as above outlined, is to provide a rapid means for adjusting said rollers.

And another object of the invention is to pro vide in such a machine, means for locking the rollers in adjusted position. 1

With the above and such other objects in View, as may hereinafter more fully appear, we have invented the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of our machine;

Figure 2 is a similar view, the guard plate being removed;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the opposite 40 side, a guard plate being removed;

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a rearelevational view;

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a vertical cross section taken on line 88 of Figure 11, showing looking toward the inner side of the rear wall and showing lock in inoperative position;

Figure 9 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing certain parts in adjusted position;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of a gear train;

Figure 11 is a section on line of Figure 4;

Figure 12 is a detail plan View of a lever operated adjustment crank;

a meat fiber breaker so arranged that the fibers A still further object of the invention is to- Figure 13 is a view, similar to Figure 8, showing lock inoperative position;

Figure 14 is a detail view of a side wall; and

Figure 15 is a detail view of a track plate showing roller shafts seated therein.

Like reference characters indicate-like parts, throughout the following specification, and in the several views in the drawings in which I indicates our meat fiber breaker, or meat tenderer, which comprises a box-like structure 2, having side walls 3 and 4, a rear wall 5, a relatively short upper front wall 6, a chute bottom 1 projecting beyond the front opening 8, below the said wall 6. The walls 3 and 4 are provided with lower right angular flanges 9, and I0, forming a base upon which the devicerests. The top H is formed in two sections II and Ila. the inner portions 2 and 3 of which are inclineddown over bars I4 and I5 to form a hopper or guide to apair of fiber breaking rollers I6 and I1, centrally disposed and transversely of the box or casing 2, and between which steaks, chops or other sliced meat is fed through said hopper, between said rollers, and delivered to said chute 1. The said rollers l6 and I! are provided with stub shafts I8 and I9, and and 2|, the shafts l8 and 20 operating in arcuately disposed slots 22 and 23 in the side wall 3, while the shafts l9 and 2| operate in similar oppositely disposed slots 22' and 23' in the side wall 4. Fixed on the shafts l8 and 2|], are gears 24 and 25, which are located between the wall 3, and track plate 26, which plate is provided with slots 2'! and 28, which align with and conform in shape to said slots 22 and 23. The shafts l9 and 2| also project through slots 29 and 30 in a bearing plate 3|, mounted on the wall 4. These latter slots conform in shape to the slots 22, 23, 22 and 23. Track forming blocks 32 and 33, with overhanging flanges 34 and 35, form a track within which a guide plate 36 is vertically movable. This plate is provided with longitudinal upright slots 3'! and 38, which incline in opposite directions from their near upper ends 39 and 4|]. The shafts l8 and 20 also project through the respective slots 31 and 38 whereby, through the up and down movement of the plate 36, said shafts are caused to move on the arcuate edges 4| and 42 of slots 2'! and 28, either toward or away from one another, as the case may be, in order to adjust the spacing between rollers l6 and H, to accommodate slices of meats of various thicknesses. On the opposite side of the machine is provided another guide plate 43, which is provided with slots 44 and 45, conforming in shape and arrangement to slots 39 and 49, and in horizontal alignment therewith. Each of the plates 36 and 43, have pins 46 and 41, respectively, which project into slots 48 and 49, in the inner ends of crank levers 50 and 5|, the ends 52 and 53 of which are fixed to a crank shaft 54, oscillatingly mounted in the walls 3 and 4. adjacent the rear wall 5.

Fixed to the center of shaft 54 is a lever arm 55, which projects through an elongated vertically disposed opening 56, in rear wa1l5, and terminates in a finger hold 51 whereby the shaft 54 may be manually operated. A down pressure on member 51, turns shaft 54 to simultaneously raise arms 50 and 5|, and with them the plates 36 and 43, which action carries the rollers |6 and IT to move away from one another. A reverse action of lever 54 causes a reverse action of plates 36 and 43, and consequentlybrings said rollers toward one another. Now,- in order to hold rollers l6 and I! in adjusted position, we provide a lock plate 58, mounted to slidehorizontally in the trackway formed by flanged clips 59 and 60, connectedby a cross bar 6|, and mounted on the-inner surface 62 of wall 5. Struck from the outer side 63 of plate 58, is a tongue 64, which is bent at right angles to the plate and projected through the elongated horizontally disposed slot 65 in rear wall 5, whereby said plate may be manually moved to a desired position. The inner edge 66 of plate 58, is provided with a series of stepped notches 61 formed by steps or teeth 68, any one of which may be projected under the lever shank 55 to hold the same locked against down movement to prevent accidental spreading apart of said rollers l6 and I1. Mounted on the wall 3 and spaced therefrom by its end lugs 69 and 10, is a bearing plate 1|, having a bore 12 aligning with a bore 13 in wall 3, for the drive shaft I4, upon which is fixed, between the members 1| and 3, a drive gear 15, which is in mesh with the transmission gear 16, said latter gear being also in mesh with a gear 11, fixed on shaft l8, The gear 16 is meshed with an other transmission gear 18, which, in turn, meshes with the gear 19, fixed on shaft 20. The drive shaft 14 extends through a grease tight bearing 80 in the grease box 8|, which encases all of the operating mechanism outwardly mounted on or adjacent wall 3, on the outer end 82.

The gears 11 and 18 are mounted on pinions 83 and 84, fixed on the wall 3. Each of the shafts are mounted in suitable bearings 85. The stub shafts I8, I9, 20 and 2| being also mounted in roller bearings 86, B1, 88 and 89, on the outer ends for operation in the track and guide plate slots. The guide plate 43 operates vertically in a track formed by clamps 90 and 9|.

The rollers l6 and H are provided with a series of longitudinal slots 92 extending throughout their length forming ribs 93, between said stubs, and the rollers are so adjusted that ribs 93' of one roller will aline with a slot 92 of the other roller, whereby slices of meat passing between the rollers will be forced by the ribs of each roller into the slots of the other roller, the corners 94 and 95 of the ribs pressing'sufliciently hard upon the meat to snap or break into small pieces the by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina device, as described, a pair of rollers, means for driving the same, means for adjustably spacing the same and means for holding the rollers in adjusted position, said second means including vertically movable plates with inclined slots through which the ends of said rollers project.

2. In a device, as described, a pair of rollers, means for driving the same, means for adjustably spacing the same and means for holding the rollers in adjusted position, said second means including vertically movable plates with inclined slots through which the ends of said rollers project, and lever arms for raising and lowering said plates.

3. In a device as described, a pair of rollers, means for driving the same, means for adjustably spacing the same,'and means for holding the rollers in adjusted position, said second means including vertically movable plates with inclined slots through which the ends of said rollers project, lever arms for raising and lowering said plates, a crank shaft upon which said arms are fixed, and means whereby said shaft may be oscillatably moved, said holding means comprising a lock plate slidable under said oscillating means.

4. In a device as described, a pair of rollers, a. frame having slots forming bearings for the rollers and vertically operating means for simultaneously moving the rollers in said slots toward each other and away from each other, said slots being arcuate, said means being plates having diverging slots.

5. In a device as described, a pair of fiber crushing rollers, vertically movable plates whereby said rollers are slidable relative to each other, means whereby said sliding movement is simultaneous and lever controlled, said means including arcuate slot bearings for said rollers, and a vertically movable member having inclined slots crossing said first slot bearings to receive the stub end of said rollers.

6. A meat tendering machine comprising a frame, a pair of serrated rollers in said frame, trunnions carried by each roller, a gear secured to each trunnion, a pair of driving gears at each end of said rollers, the gears of each pair meshing with each other and with said gears on said trunnions, means rotatably mounting said rollers for adjustment relative to each other about the a'xesof said second gears, and means at each end of said rollers movable in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said rollers, for moving said rollers toward or away from each other.

EVERARD K. HOY. URBANO PEDRO ARENA. 

